Check out the 1920s Sonor drums and hardware! a double pedal? In the twenties? Really?
How To Date 1960s Ludwig Drums By Serial Numbers
Prompted by the insurance industry, the new regulation mandated serial numbers on certain goods, including drums. "Up until then," said Mr. Ludwig, "some of our drums were date stamped and some weren’t - but none had serial numbers. Our dealers begged us to put them on, so we had our badge manufacturer imprint sequential numbers on the badges for all of our drums."
Read moreGretsch 12x16 Bass Drum
Here's something you don't see very often, Gretsch 16" x 12 " bass drum, restored with mostly original parts, all parts are period correct..
Yes it's the real deal.
Ronnie Owens Drums
Vintage Bass Drum Head Artwork
This is one of those reviews that is easy to write because the product is so simple that it either works or it doesn't. It either does what the manufacturer says it does or it doesn't. This one works! CUSH pads are an alternative to the felts you use on your cymbal stand. They are made of a proprietary elastomer material, and are designed to allow the cymbals to ring longer and truer without muffling the sound or overtones. They don't collapse or take shape and always return to the original shape.
Read moreMlasko American Classic Drums 7x14 Vintage Mahogany
"Mlasko American Classic Drums are made in Nashville, Tennessee for drummers who can appreciate refined classic drum design without the limitations of vintage instruments. Owner, Aaron Mlasko has been building drums since 1994. He’s also worked as an in-demand touring and studio drum tech for folks like Matt Chamberlain, Matt Cameron, Alan White, Mario Calire and many others."
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1953 Leedy & Ludwig Set
Thanks to Patrick Bradley for submitting his 1953 Leedy & Ludwig set - we love it!
Rick Latham's Polish Snare Drum
We got this question from Rick Latham as he was ending his summer tour in Europe.Can any of you help us out here? - NSMD: Hi George, Greetings brother from the Black Forest of Germany! Hope you are doing well. I'm nearing the end of a three month tour here in Europe - Germany, Italy, France, Poland, Switzerland... all great! I ran across this drum in a drum shop in Poznan, Poland and the guys are curious if it's anything cool - or maybe a bastardized-something-weird? Ha! I told them if anyone would know, it would be you - so give it your best shot.
Read moreNashville Drum Show Hits the Road
The Nashville Drum Show is hitting the road on Saturday and Sunday, August 16-17th and making stops in Knoxville, TN and Atlanta, GA. Titled "Drummer's Showcase and Swap Meet," these mini-shows are free to the public - not only to attend, but to buy and sell as well.
"Bring your used and vintage gear to sell and trade - bring your new or old drums to show off and play... or just show up and join the drum hang!" - Nashville Drum Show
Here's some photos NSMD readers have submitted of items that will be up for sale over the weekend:
Are you planning on coming and want to show off what you're bringing - either for show or for sale? Let us know!
The event on Saturday will take place at The Whammy Bar, 8426 Kingston Pike in Knoxville, and on Sunday at ATL Drum Collective, 503 Amsterdam Ave NE. Hours are 12-6 PM on both days. There are no rules, and it is a bring-your-own everything atmosphere and open to anyone and everyone - including vendors, collectors and manufacturers. Participants can also purchase Nashville Drum Show tickets on location, $75 for a VIP pass and $15 for a regular day admission. Tickets purchased at the showcase events will be entered into a raffle for a custom built drum set, custom snare drums, and many other prizes. You do not need to be present at the show to win.
In addition to the advanced ticket raffle, ATL Drum Collective is offering 10% off all purchases over $25, and will have select overstock marked down for the event. Joe Ciucci will be showing his 1940 Radio King's at the Atlanta event, beautifully restored by ATL Drum Collective.
For more information, visit www.nashvilledrumshow.com.
July 2014 - Red Headed Step Children
But what about all the vintage and rare drums that have been modified with extra holes, unoriginal parts etc.? What about those red headed bastard stepchildren?
It is my theory that they will become more and more desirable as the herd is thinned over the coming decades. What made me realize this was one particular seller at the Chicago Drum Show who asked me if there were going to be a lot of “hipsters” at my Nashville Drum Show. He said that in Austin, where there are hundreds and hundreds of working drummers in that busy music scene, they are buying “player" vintage kits and snares, not the collector level drums. They are buying them for the sound, not the collectability. It made me realize just how much the vintage drum world has grown and how the less than perfect old drums need to be preserved too.
Read more2014 Chicago Drum Show Review
The 24th Annual Chicago Drum Show
May 17-18, 2014 Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, IL
by Bob Campbell with Kat Almlie (covering the “Careers in the percussion industry” Roundtable)
Each year now for 24 years, Rob Cook and his amazing team have put together one of the most exciting drum shows in the U.S.A. The Chicago Drum Show has become the place to gather for drummers, drum collectors, builders and craftsman from around the world. Oh, and yes they have some very cool raffle prizes…and a fantastic selection of drum books, DVD’s, t-shirts and swag for sale :). We would say that any drummer who has not had the chance to attend at least one Chicago Drum Show has truly missed out on a remarkable experience.
This year, the two days were jam-packed with great booths, performances, clinics, master classes and educational presentations. On Saturday, there were some wonderful clinics starting off with the flamboyant, fiery-red-haired Mike Semerau (“Chicago’s #1 Drum Lessons”) in the morning, followed by the multi-talented Curt Bisquera, a.k.a. “Kirkee B”, (whose credits include: Go-Go’s, Bonnie Raitt, Seal, Celine Dion, Mick Jagger, Queen Latifah, Dixie Chicks, Lionel Ritchie, Nelly Furtado, Spice Girls, and many more), and then rounded off by a gentleman from New Orleans, Stanton Moore (Galactic, Garage a Trois, Stanton Moore “Conversations” album, Stanton Moore Drum Company, the Hudson Music Groove Alchemy educational book/CD/DVD). Stanton always impresses me with his clinics; paying homage to his drumming history, humility and the constant evolution of his playing. Most of all, that man can groove.
For the drum collectors and historians, there were some terrific presentations by Rick Gier (“Dating Ludwig and Gretsch drums”) and Gary Astridge (“Ringo’s Beatle gear on the road”; “Ringo’s Beatle gear at Abbey Road”). All in all, both Rick and Gary were quite knowledgeable and approachable; I learned a lot from each of them. They have tried to set the record straight as best as possible, capturing the facts and discussing the gaps in our knowledge. I personally loved all the pics of Ringos’ kits and gold-plated Ludwig Supraphonic.
This year, the Chicago Drum Show offered a new element to the clinics and equipment - a Rebeats Roundtable in the Master Classroom on “Careers in the percussion industry” which Kat was keen to attend. The Careers roundtable featured Karl Dustman as moderator (music industry executive), and Jim Catalano (Ludwig Drum Company), Todd Trent (Ontario Music, Artists Relations for Ludwig and now Taye Drums), and Paul Wertico (Trio New, Paul Winter, seven-time Grammy Award winner with Pat Metheny Group), as panelists. So if you were thinking about getting into the business of drums/percussion, these guys were definitely great role models and sources of info. This roundtable was divided into two parts. The first segment was a 50-minute overview of the percussion industry as a whole, including everything from education to retail sales. The second segment consisted of about 50 minutes detailing how the percussion industry breaks down the economic impact of revenue generated by drum sales, services and education. One of the main features was a discussion of whether or not to pursue a higher education. Furthering your education was always viewed as a positive factor. Having a degree in Music or Business was helpful, but wasn’t the only way to get the job. Jim Catalano and Paul Wertico each had extensive education and then built on their experience in percussion. However, Todd Trent’s moving up the ladder from music store stock boy to Sales and Marketing Manager for Taye Drums proved that “plain old hard work” and lessons on the job pay off as well. While each worked diligently to get where they are today, there wasn’t any single formula for success. They did give some general advice:
- It is important not only whom you know, but also who knows you.
- Learn to market yourself and be your own best advertiser.
- Go to the shows.
- Be an active participant. Introduce yourself.
- Continue to move on forward.
To sum it all up, this was a very enlightening class offered by the Chicago Drum Show. It was refreshing to experience an educational event that didn’t actually involve a performance. One left this discussion feeling empowered. I (Kat) hope that more educational classes such as this will be offered in the future.
During both days, Jim Messina of Vintage Drums Talk (www.vintagedrumstalk.com) was doing live interviews with renowned drum experts such as Mike Curotto, Mark Cooper, Dave Brown, Bun E Carlos, Steve Maxwell and more. So that was just Saturday and I didn’t mention all the great drums yet…!